Perception of Informed Consent and Its Associated Factors among Surgical Patients Attending Public Hospitals in North Shoa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2024: A Mixed Methods Study

Perception of Informed Consent and Its Associated Factors among Surgical Patients Attending Public Hospitals in North Shoa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2024: A Mixed Methods Study | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Perception of Informed Consent and Its Associated Factors among Surgical Patients Attending Public Hospitals in North Shoa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2024: A Mixed Methods Study Mekonnen Urgessa, Bikila Tesfa, Muluken Ayenew, Amensisa Debessa, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8365955/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Informed consent is a critical process in surgical procedures, ensuring that patients are fully aware of the risks, benefits, and alternatives to a proposed treatment. Poor patient perception of informed consent can undermine shared decision-making, limit patients' autonomy, increase anxiety, and result in postoperative dissatisfaction. This study aimed to assess the perception of informed consent and its associated factors among surgical patients attending public hospitals in North Shoa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted on 375 surgical patients from June 1 to July 15, 2024. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using systematic random sampling and purposive sampling, respectively. A pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for the quantitative study, and the data were entered into Epidata version 4.6 and analyzed with statistical package of social science version 26. Variables with a p-value < 0.25 in bivariable logistic regression analysis were included in the multivariable analysis, with significance declared at p-value ≤ 0.05. For the qualitative study, thematic analysis was done, and results were triangulated with quantitative findings. Results A total of 360 patients participated in the study, giving a response rate of 96%. The study revealed that the poor perception of informed consent for surgical procedures was 35% (95% CI: 30.1%–40.2%). Inability to read and write (AOR = 7.79; 95% CI: 3.40–17.86), rural residency (AOR = 2.78; 95% CI: 1.32–5.86), not informing family before signing consent (AOR = 7.54; 95% CI: 2.20–25.83), informed consent not written in the patient's mother tongue (AOR = 4.21; 95% CI: 1.32–13.45), poor patient-physician relationship (AOR = 4.09; 95% CI: 1.99–8.43), and poor knowledge of informed consent (AOR = 4.79; 95% CI: 2.39–9.56) were independent predictors of poor perception of informed consent for surgical procedures. For the qualitative study, twelve participants were interviewed through an in-depth interview, and three themes emerged: inadequate provision of information to patients, autonomy/decision-making, and insufficient time for discussion and decision-making. Conclusions In this study, nearly one third (35%) of surgical patients had a poor perception of informed consent. Therefore, hospital managers, the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health, and policymakers should develop strategies and raise awareness about informed consent among surgical patients. perception informed consent surgical patients Ethiopia Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8365955","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":561408437,"identity":"caf1533e-af85-423d-834e-1e5b605f28a8","order_by":0,"name":"Mekonnen 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Study","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"perception, informed consent, surgical patients, Ethiopia","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8365955/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8365955/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eInformed consent is a critical process in surgical procedures, ensuring that patients are fully aware of the risks, benefits, and alternatives to a proposed treatment. Poor patient perception of informed consent can undermine shared decision-making, limit patients' autonomy, increase anxiety, and result in postoperative dissatisfaction. This study aimed to assess the perception of informed consent and its associated factors among surgical patients attending public hospitals in North Shoa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted on 375 surgical patients from June 1 to July 15, 2024. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using systematic random sampling and purposive sampling, respectively. A pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for the quantitative study, and the data were entered into Epidata version 4.6 and analyzed with statistical package of social science version 26. Variables with a p-value\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.25 in bivariable logistic regression analysis were included in the multivariable analysis, with significance declared at p-value\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05. For the qualitative study, thematic analysis was done, and results were triangulated with quantitative findings.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA total of 360 patients participated in the study, giving a response rate of 96%. The study revealed that the poor perception of informed consent for surgical procedures was 35% (95% CI: 30.1%\u0026ndash;40.2%). Inability to read and write (AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;7.79; 95% CI: 3.40\u0026ndash;17.86), rural residency (AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.78; 95% CI: 1.32\u0026ndash;5.86), not informing family before signing consent (AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;7.54; 95% CI: 2.20\u0026ndash;25.83), informed consent not written in the patient's mother tongue (AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4.21; 95% CI: 1.32\u0026ndash;13.45), poor patient-physician relationship (AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4.09; 95% CI: 1.99\u0026ndash;8.43), and poor knowledge of informed consent (AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4.79; 95% CI: 2.39\u0026ndash;9.56) were independent predictors of poor perception of informed consent for surgical procedures. For the qualitative study, twelve participants were interviewed through an in-depth interview, and three themes emerged: inadequate provision of information to patients, autonomy/decision-making, and insufficient time for discussion and decision-making.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this study, nearly one third (35%) of surgical patients had a poor perception of informed consent. Therefore, hospital managers, the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health, and policymakers should develop strategies and raise awareness about informed consent among surgical patients.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Perception of Informed Consent and Its Associated Factors among Surgical Patients Attending Public Hospitals in North Shoa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2024: A Mixed Methods Study","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-12-17 07:48:25","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8365955/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"e07479a2-0a2b-4fc1-a610-54901000a55b","owner":[],"postedDate":"December 17th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-01-05T19:37:25+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-12-17 07:48:25","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8365955","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8365955","identity":"rs-8365955","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}